Tanzania: Tanzania, DR Congo Usher in Strategic Ties

What the report says

Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to deepen strategic cooperation after talks held during President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi’s state visit to Tanzania, according to Daily News via AllAfrica. The discussions were reported from Zanzibar, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan spoke to journalists at her residence in Kizimkazi, Unguja South Region, on 19 August 2026.

The leaders said they want to expand ties in transport, trade, investment, infrastructure, peace and security. Samia said the two countries are also looking at ways to cut transport costs and move goods more efficiently through the Central Corridor, including work on a multimodal transport project that links ports, rail, roads and waterways. She also pointed to Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway, port upgrades around Lake Tanganyika, and ongoing efforts to improve border services and remove non-tariff barriers.

The report said trade between Tanzania and the DRC reached 794 billion shillings last year, with Dar es Salaam port handling a large share of cargo destined for the DRC. Both presidents also discussed cooperation in mining, including skills sharing and value addition, and broader regional security concerns, especially in eastern DRC. As part of the renewed framework, Tshisekedi said the two countries plan to revive the Joint Cooperation Commission to help implement bilateral agreements.

The talks matter because Tanzania and the DRC are major regional partners whose transport links, trade routes and security cooperation affect commerce and stability across East and Central Africa. Background: both governments have been working to position infrastructure and local processing as tools for growth and jobs across the region.